The Arizona Cardinals’ new regime of general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon have their work cut out for them. The roster they are inheriting is short on building blocks and could need the most work in the NFL.
To make matters worse, their starting quarterback, Kyler Murray, is without a timetable to return to the lineup after tearing his ACL last season. That leaves the Cardinals in a tough spot as 2023 looks like a rebuilding season.
But, looking to reset the tone within the organization and build a culture, Ossenfort and Gannon will be looking for results from Day 1. While there is a lot of work to turn the team into contenders again, some tweaks could result in better performance on a weekly basis.
What could one of those tweaks be? In the opinion of ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates, continuing to reshape the offensive line would be a good start. He suggested the Cardinals sign another center to anchor the middle of their unit in the trenches on offense.
“It would appear the front-runner for the starting gig at center is Hjalte Froholdt, a journeyman who started six games for the Browns last season. His familiarity with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing (hired from Cleveland) helps, but this still feels like a potential upgrade spot. (Rookie Jon Gaines II could become the long-term starter in time, as well.) While the timeline for Kyler Murray’s return is uncertain, having a reliable rock in the middle of the offensive line can be a big boost for pre-snap communication and post-snap execution.”
If you are going to be without your starting quarterback, having a good center would go a long way in helping offset that loss. Having someone capable of getting the offense in position pre-snap is important to finding a rhythm and producing.
The new Cardinals’ regime has also shown their commitment to upgrading the offensive line, so Yates’ suggestion is in line with the thinking they have shown. With their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Cardinals selected Ohio State tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
If a veteran center isn’t brought onto the roster in the coming weeks, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to have Johnson and Jon Gaines II both in the lineup in Week 1. They could be the future along the offensive line for the Cardinals so getting them reps and experience without the pressures of winning games could benefit them and the franchise in the long run.
